Michael Roberts
Injected commentary on articles of a political nature in websites can be good, bad or ugly. They do not always further debate or enhance our understandings of the world. By happenchance I came across an array of comments on an article in Thuppahi in 2021 which belied this last remark: virtually all the comments stimulate thinking.
Since the item in question embraced the factors that have spurred outmigration from Sri Lanka since the mid-20th century and related specifically to the departure of English-speaking Burghers and Eurasians, it is of continuing relevance today. Via their diversity and astuteness, the set of Comments encourage reflection and debate.
A passenger ship with immigrants from all over the world riving at an Australian port
So, here then, I repeat the set of COMMENTS from Sri Lankans induced by the appearance of this item in November 2020: https://thuppahis.com/2020/11/19/the-burgher-exodus-from-sri-lanka-a-reading-in-1988/
11 responses to “The Burgher Exodus from Sri Lanka: A Reading in 1988”
November 20, 2020 at 12:32 am Edit
EMAIL COMMENT from DAYA WICKRAMATUNGA, 20 NOVEMBER 2020: “Thanks for sharing! …… The Sinhala Only that SWRD introduced was the beginning of our downfall. Instead he should have taken English to the rural schools in the south. Interestingly, in the early years Peter Keuneman spoke much better Sinhalese at political meetings than SWRD.”
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- Vinod [Moonesinghe]
February 16, 2022 at 9:37 pm Edit
This is typical of the kind of uninformed commentary the Sinhala Only Act attracts. My mother, who had experience teaching in the English medium at a Colombo school, found that few of the students knew enough English to follow her lessons. She later served on an inquiry into the teaching of English in Ceylon schools, and found a dearth of English teachers. This was in the early 1970s, when teachers were still fairly well-paid. They recommended that English should be taught from grade 3 in all schools, instead of trying to teach it from grade 1, as had been done hitherto, because there were insufficient teachers. Since then, teachers’ salaries have plunged in relative terms, and good English teachers are hard to come by. Technically, all schools have had English classes since the Swabasha education was included, but their effectiveness is in doubt. In other words, SWRD DID take English to the rural schools.
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- Hugh Karunanayake
November 20, 2020 at 6:46 am Edit
The change in the official language was inevitable. TheEnglish language due to its universality created opportunities for the 30,000 odd Burghers but ignored the hopes and aspirations of millions of indigenous Sinhalese. The Upgrading of the Sinhalese language gave opportunity to millions of rural families who had no access to English education. The results are plain to see. There is a whole new generation of Sinhala educated professionals in medicine, science, the humanities who have uplifted themselves from the social morass that an alien language had consigned their forefathers into. However the importance of English cannot be undervalued. It may now be opportune to provide the impetus necessary for providing well designed programmes of teaching English in schools, while retaining the official status to Sinhala and Tamil.
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- J K Wijedasa
November 21, 2020 at 3:28 pm Edit
Balanced succinct analysis. Thanks
- Earl Forbes
November 21, 2020 at 4:24 am Edit
For anyone interested in early Burgher migration to Australia, please read
‘The White Australia Policy, Ceylonese Burghers and Alice Nona’.
This article is included in the Thupphai Blog. Access by typing the title in the ‘Search’ window.
Earl Forbes
November 21, 2020 at 7:41 am Edit
A high quality essay from EARLSON …. The late ERIC RICHARDS of Flinders University (a specialist in migration history) told me that it should be placed in an academic journal for wider publicity …Michael Roberts
November 23, 2020 at 1:41 am Edit
EMAIL COMMENT from REX OLAGESEKARAM in SYDNEY, 23 NOOVEMBER 2020: ….. “Dear Mike, …. The Burghers in Ceylon (both Portuguese and Dutch) certainly added colour and richness to the society in Ceylon with their outgoing ways and achievements. There were certain Dutch Burgher families in the capital cities during our days. The Ephraims in Galle (one member was a good athlete), the Solomons in Matara, the Vandendriesens (including our Uni lecturer in Peradeniya) and the Ferdinands in Jaffna, the Vanderhovens in Batticaloa etc.
The Portuguese Burghers in Batticaloa were unique as they spoke and preserved the Portuguese language, which was the type spoken in Portugal in the sixteenth century. This period would coincide with their settling down in Batticaloa. I knew some during my days in Batticaloa . They were delightful people , mingled closely with the local population and spoke English and Tamil as well.
Best wishes, REX
- Ernest Macintyre
November 23, 2020 at 5:26 am Edit
If you read and ponder, E.F.C.Ludowyk’s ” The Footprint of The Buddha” you will sense that it was a Burgher who best was able to feel for that island civilization; It leaves Walpola Ruhala’s ” What The Buddha Taught” wanting in Buddhist feeling for humanity and sympathetic imagination.
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- EditBrigadier (Rtd) Ranjan de Silva
February 17, 2022 at 11:53 pm Edit
The departure of Burghers from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s loss is Australia’s gain. Had they been allowed to stay, they would have helped in uplifting the Sinhalese and others;and the country as a whole. Politicians think of today only, while statesmen think of tomorrow. There were no statesmen; and that tomorrow has come. The politicians we had failed to convert the political sovereignty we won into economic sovereignty. So our political sovereignty is eroding. Think of the Hambantota Harbour and the 15,000 acres we were forced to give away.
- Lam Seneviratne
November 10, 2023 at 1:54 am Edit
Scott Direckze the former M.D. of George Stuarts, in the middle of your group photo stayed on in Sri Lanka till he passed away in 2021.
the photo in qAstute uestion
